Blanket pants

ABSTRACT

A blanket construction designed to envelop at least a portion of a person&#39;s body without risk of bunching up or falling off when the wearer moves. When folded it looks like a regular throw blanket or pillow, but unfolded, it is a blanket including individual compartments for receiving the user&#39;s legs, and an upper body portion that can be extending to envelop the user&#39;s torso, shoulders and/or head where desired to fully encompass the body of said person. Said blanket construction further allows for mobility while wearing the blanket.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/798,581 filed May 9, 2006 by the present inventors, which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of blanket construction in general and in particular to a blanket construction that is specifically designed for a user to wear at least around the user's legs, regardless of the user's position, such as sitting, laying, or walking.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The practical use of a blanket for warmth has long been known. The basic blanket design, consisting essentially of a flat layer or layers of fabric, has many drawbacks and disadvantages when it comes to design. The blanket typically lies loosely on top of a person allowing for breezes to slip between the person and the blanket. For added warmth, one may wrap the blanket around one's legs and arms. However, if the person moves, the blanket typically needs to be repositioned, it can get bunched up or it can fall off, exposing the person to the cold.

Several blanket designs have been invented to address the issue with breezes; however none address mobility while maintaining the warmth. If a person needs to get up or walk around, the blanket needs to be left behind, unsnapped or draped over the shoulders, thus allowing for all the warmth to escape. If the person tries to walk around with the blanket wrapped around the legs, the blanket can pose a tripping hazard.

Another option to warm up is to add another layer of clothing, such as a pair of sweat pants. However, sweatpants only cover the legs of the wearer, and adding a sweatshirt may be too bulky or lead to overheating. Also, if the person is already dressed, it is often difficult to put a pair of sweatpants on over another pair of pants. Similarly, when sweatpants are removed, they do not provide much use as a blanket. Sleepers are another great option for staying warm, however, they are pajamas and are typically not large enough to wear over clothes. Most people would not be comfortable to have guests in their homes while wearing pajamas or uncomfortable bulky clothing.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,065,810 describes pants attached to a distinct planar blanket section. While this design does possibly address the issue of mobility, the blanket portion has the same shortcomings of a classic blanket—i.e., it is loose fitting, must be bunched up around the wearer but still leaving numerous gaps and openings, and thus is susceptible to letting breezes affect the warmth of the wearer. The blanket with attached pants would be advantageous for outside use with babies, but would not be practical for indoor use.

In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a blanket design and construction that easily provides the user with warmth, yet permits readjustment of the user's position and mobility while wearing the blanket without compromising the positioning of the blanket around the user's body, as well as the warmth provided thereby. Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a blanket design and construction that improves upon, or overcomes the problems and drawbacks associated with the basic flat blanket design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally directed to a blanket construction comprising a web folded over upon itself to form an upper body portion adaptable to be substantially wrapped around a user's body. The upper body portion defines an interior cavity to receive the user's body and a top opening. The blanket construction further comprises two leg compartments depending from the upper body portion and defining respective leg cavities accessible from the interior cavity of the upper body portion. Each of the leg compartments is arrangeable to receive and envelop one of the user's legs.

Accordingly, the present invention proposes a blanket construction comprising a self-enclosing blanket that easily wraps around the user's body, and includes separate compartments for each leg, allowing for maximum warmth and mobility. The blanket is preferably a one-piece, unitary construction that is easily stepped into and out of. The upper portion of the blanket can be pulled up over the shoulders or rolled down around the waist as desired. The construction does not allow for breezes to sneak in. Advantageously, while wearing said blanket a person can sit or lay in several positions without the risk of the blanket falling off or bunching up. Due to the separate leg compartments, the person can also walk easily while remaining draped in the blanket and with reduced risk of tripping over the blanket or the blanket posing other safety risks. No longer does one need to leave the comfort and warmth of their blanket behind when they need to get up.

As will be explained in greater detail further in the specification, the leg compartments are arranged to receive the user's legs whereas the upper portion of the blanket is arranged to surround the user's upper body in its entirety. An advantage of the present invention is that the blanket construction can be made in varying sizes to accommodate varying body sizes and types. Moreover, the upper body portion of the blanket construction is adaptable to wrap around the user so that there is no need to bunch up loose fabric and consequently there are no loose ends, gaps or openings that can compromise the warmth provided by the blanket. Alternatively, the blanket structure can be provided with features, such as elastic bands, zippers, snaps, Velcro® straps, pull cords, drawstrings and other forms of cinches to adapt a single blanket construction to different body sizes and types. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, at least a portion of a side of the upper body portion may include a side opening to facilitate the user's access to and from the interior cavity.

An object of the present invention is that due to the nature of its construction, said blanket can be worn over any article of clothing and keep its occupant warm and cozy thereby allowing consumers to lower their thermostat and reduce heating costs.

Another object of the present invention is that the blanket can be used separate from being worn by the user, for example, as a throw. Further, the blanket can be easily folded within itself and compacted, and thus used as a pillow for added comfort.

These and other features of the present invention are described with reference to the drawings of the preferred embodiments of a blanket construction, which are intended to illustrate, but not limit, the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a blanket construction in accordance with the present invention and shown in an unfolded condition.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the blanket construction of FIG. 1 worn by a user and pulled up to envelop the user up to the shoulders.

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the blanket construction of FIG. 1 worn by a user and pulled up to envelop the user up over the head.

FIG. 2C is a perspective view of the blanket construction of FIG. 1 worn by a user with the upper blanket portion rolled down around the waist of the user.

FIG. 3 is a back plan view of an embodiment of a blanket construction in accordance with the present invention with slip proof soles on the ends of the leg compartments.

FIG. 4 is a front plan view of an embodiment of a blanket construction in accordance with the present invention with pockets.

FIG. 5 is a front plan view of an embodiment of a blanket construction in accordance with the present invention with a top drawstring and a waist drawstring.

FIG. 6 is a front plan view of an embodiment of a blanket construction in accordance with the present invention with an elastic waist strap and elastic ankle straps.

FIG. 7 is a front plan view of an embodiment of a blanket construction in accordance with the present invention with a zippered side opening.

FIG. 8A is a front plan view of an embodiment of a blanket construction in accordance with the present invention without feet enclosures on the ends of the leg compartments and with elastic ankle straps.

FIG. 8B is a front plan view of detachable foot portions that can be used with the blanket construction without feet enclosures.

FIG. 9A is a front plan view of an embodiment of a blanket construction in accordance with the present invention with straps to be worn over the shoulders when the blanket is rolled down to the waist.

FIG. 9B is a top plan view of an embodiment of a blanket construction in accordance with the present invention with the shoulder straps holding it in a folded position.

FIG. 10A is a front plan view of an embodiment of a blanket construction in accordance with the present invention with snaps on the inseam of the legs.

FIG. 10B is a perspective view of an embodiment of a blanket construction being draped over the users shoulders.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1, which depicts a blanket pants construction, generally designated as reference numeral 20. The blanket pants 20 are illustrated in an adult size; however, they can be manufactured in varying sizes without altering the features of the present invention. That is, the blanket pants 20 can be made to accommodate different sizes of the potential user, such as regular adult, tall adult, or child. Further, the blanket pants 20 can be sized in association with typical clothing sizes to accommodate variations in inseam and waist measurement, body types, gender types, or any other size factor. Preferably, the blanket pants 20 are sized larger than the user's actual clothing size to permit a fully clothed user to be draped in the blanket pants 20 as an outer shell, while already clothed, in order to provide added warmth without compromising comfort.

As shown in FIG. 1, the blanket pants 20 preferably have a unitary construction, more preferably comprising a piece of fabric or material that is sewn into an encompassing three-dimensional blanket construction having an upper body portion 26, a top opening 22, a side opening 24, and leg compartments 30. The upper body portion 26 generally is formed from a web of fabric or blanket material folded over upon itself to essentially define a sleeve that can be wrapped around the user's body, preferably the user's torso. The upper body portion 26 thusly defines an interior cavity that receives the user's body. The user preferably accesses the interior cavity by way of the top opening 22 and the side opening 24. As used herein, the “side” of the blanket pants 20 is defined relative to the top opening 22, and is thus the portion of the fabric or material that is wrapped around the user's body. Accordingly, the side opening 24 can be on either side of the user, or along the front or back of the user. Moreover, the side opening 24, though illustrated as being generally in the longitudinal direction, can be designed in any manner that facilitates the user's entry into and out of the interior cavity of the upper body portion 26. Thus, the side opening 24 may be diagonal down the side, front or back of the upper body portion 26, may have an arced design, or may have a upside-down “Y” design. Moreover, variations of the blanket pants 20 can be designed without the side opening 24, in which case, the user would access the interior cavity by way of the top opening 22.

The leg compartments 30 depend from the upper body portion 26 and define respective leg cavities accessible from the interior cavity of the upper body portion 26. Preferably, there are two leg compartments 30, each one arranged to receive and envelop one of the user's legs. The leg compartments 30 also preferably contain an enclosed foot area 28, though the end of the legs may be open so that the user's feet may pass through and out of the leg compartments 30.

Varying manners of using the blanket pants 20 are illustrated in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C. The blanket pants are generally worn by placing each foot into a respective individual leg compartment 30 and pulling the upper body portion of the blanket 26 to a desired location on or around the body. The upper body portion of the blanket 26 can be positioned in many ways. FIG. 2A shows the upper body portion 26 extended to and around the user's shoulders. FIG. 2B shows the upper body portion 26 extended over the user's head. FIG. 2C shows the upper portion 26 rolled down around the waist, where it can be maintained in a rolled condition by itself.

Alternatively, the blanket pants 20 can be used as a throw blanket in accordance with existing blanket designs. In such a situation, the blanket pants 20 could merely be draped over the user's body. The user could optionally wrap and tie the leg compartments 30 of the blanket pants 20 around the body. Further, a fastener system could be attached to the outside of the leg compartments 30 so that they can be attached together when the blanket pants 20 are used as a throw blanket so that the leg compartments 30 are less susceptible to falling off of the user when in a draped condition. The fastener system 52 could take the form of snaps, zippers, Velcro®, or any other known means of attachment. Additionally, the fastener system may be located along the inseam of the leg compartments, for example, through snaps positioned at the respective ankle regions of the leg compartments, as shown in FIGS. 10A. and 10B.

The side opening 24 facilitates the user getting into and out of the blanket pants 20. As shown, the side portion only extends part way down a side of the upper body portion 26. The side opening also aids the user in rolling down the upper body portion 26, as shown in FIG. 2C. In order to maintain warmth when the upper body portion 26 is positioned around the shoulders (FIG. 2A) or over the user's head (FIG. 2B), the present invention preferably includes means to close up the side opening 24. For example, FIG. 7 illustrates a zipper 44 for closing the side opening. Alternatively, the opening could have fastening members, such as snaps, Velcro®, or the like that act as the closing mechanism. Still further, the blanket pants 20 could use elastic bands or drawstrings (such as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6) to facilitate cinching the side opening.

Additional embodiments of the present invention incorporating various features that may be included with the blanket pants 20 are shown in FIGS. 3-10. In FIG. 3, the blanket has a non-skid material added to the bottom of the feet to form non-skid pads 32. The non-skid pads 32 are useful for people who may have poor balance. It would also provide added traction on slippery floors if the user decided to walk while wearing the blanket pants 20.

FIG. 4 illustrates pockets 34 added to the blanket pants 20. Any amount of pockets 34 may be added to the blanket pants 20. Moreover, the pockets 34 can be in any location on outer and/or inner surface of the blanket pants 20. Further, the pockets 34 can be self closing. The pockets 34 are useful for holding items such as tissues, eye glasses, a television remote, a phone, or any items the user desires to keep close when nestled into the blanket pants 20.

In FIG. 5, a drawstring feature added to the upper body portion 26 of the blanket pants 20 in two locations. In particular, a top drawstring 36 is added to the top opening 22 of the upper body portion 26. Additionally, a waist drawstring 38 is added to a waist region of the upper body portion 26, preferably adjacent the point of convergence between the upper body portion 26 and the leg compartments 30 and generally aligning with the user's waist. The top drawstring 36 can be used to secure the upper body portion 26 around the user's head, similar to a hood. The waist drawstring 38 is preferably used in a belt-like manner. This could aid in keeping the blanket pants 20 in place around the user's waist, thereby reducing the risk of the blanket pants 20 bunching up or becoming uncomfortable to wear. Though both a top drawstring 36 and a waist drawstring 38 are shown in FIG. 5, the blanket pants 20 may be provided with one or the other, as well as neither or even additional drawstrings in desired locations. Further, the drawstrings may be elastic, or used in combination with elastic straps (see FIG. 6).

FIG. 6 illustrates a blanket pants construction 20 that includes elastic straps around the waist 40 and ankles 42. The waist elastic strap 40 aides in holding the blanket pants 20 around the waist of the user, thereby reducing the risk of the blanket pants 20 bunching up or becoming uncomfortable to the wearer. The ankle elastic straps 42 are beneficial to preventing the material from sliding off of the user's feet and reducing the risk of tripping over loose blanket material.

FIG. 7 depicts the blanket pants 20 with a zipper 44 on the side opening 24. The zipper 44 is beneficial in further blocking the cold and aiding the user in getting into and out of the blanket pants 20, as discussed above.

FIG. 8A depicts an alternative to the preferred embodiment whereby the ends of the leg compartments 30 are open and footless. Accordingly, the user can wear the blanket pants 20 with shoes or slippers and not worry about fitting the shoes or slippers into the leg compartments 30. The user can also wear the blanket pants 20 without anything covering their feet. This embodiment is also advantageous to users who may desire to wear the blanket pants outdoors. FIG. 8B also illustrates detachable foot portions 46, each adapted to be attached to a respective leg compartment 30 at the lower end opening thereof to provide the user the option of either an open leg bottom or an enclosed leg bottom. As shown, the foot portions 46 have been detached from the leg compartments 30 so that the leg bottoms are open, and include elastic straps 48 as means to secure it to the leg openings 30 when being worn. The elastic strap could be replaced with snaps, Velcro®, or the like that act as the attaching mechanism. Of course, the blanket pants 20 need not include the illustrated foot portions 46 and can be simply provided with the open ended leg compartments 22. As illustrated, the blanket pants 20 in FIG. 8A further include elastic ankle straps 42, which aid in blocking drafts from rising up the leg openings, as well as keeping the blanket pants 20 in place. Preferably, the elastic ankle straps 42 extend substantially about the perimeter of the ankle openings.

FIG. 9A depicts the blanket pants 20 with straps 50. While the blanket is being worn the straps 50 could be used in a fashion similar to suspenders. The straps would aid in holding the blanket pants 20 up when the user is walking. The attachment straps 50 can be an elastic strap, a Velcro® strap, or any other known means of holding fabric. The attachment straps 50 may also be used to maintain the entire blanket pants construction 20 in a rolled condition, as generally shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, and used as a pillow. Preferably two straps 50 will work best, but the straps can be more or less in number.

FIG. 10A shows the blanket pants construction 20 with a closing mechanism, such as snaps 52, placed along the lower inseam of the leg compartments 30. When the blanket pants 20 are draped over the shoulders of the user, the leg compartments 30 could be secured together to better hold the blanket pants 20 in place and allow for greater coverage by the blanket pants 20 when used in a flat embodiment (see FIG. 10B). This would also be advantageous when the user wants to place the blanket pants 20 on top of the body in the form of a standard blanket construction.

The above-described features are not mutually exclusive to the various embodiments shown. That is, the various features can be combined together to the user's desires. For example, one blanket pants construction can have a zipper along the side opening along with non-skid pads on the bottom of the foot portions of each leg compartment. Alternatively, another blanket pants construction can use a zipper along the side opening with open foot portions. Still alternatively, a blanket pants construction can have non-skid pads, and also use drawstrings at both the top of the upper body portion and the waist region of the upper body portion.

Accordingly, the present invention allows a person to maintain warmth and mobility in the comfort of one blanket construction. The blanket pants' design allows for ease of use whether in a sitting, laying or walking position. There can be many applications for this type of a blanket, in particular: around the house, for camping, for traveling, and in the office. Furthermore the various features of the blanket pants construction of the present invention provide at least the following additional advantages:

-   -   permitting the user to walk on a non-slip tread;     -   permitting the user to store small items in its pockets;     -   permitting the user to tighten the opening around the shoulders         or head in a hood-like fashion by use of a drawstring to further         block the cold;     -   permitting the user to tighten the opening around the waist,         working as a belt or further blocking the cold;     -   providing elastic at the ankles to keep the feet portion in         place and to further block the cold;     -   providing an enclosure at the opening to further block the cold;         and     -   providing an option of open feet portions to people who prefer         wearing shoes or slippers; people who do not like their feet to         be covered; or people who may not be steady on their feet when         completely covered in a blanket.

Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. There are various possibilities with regard to the embellishments that can be added. For example, the slip proof sole 32 can be an actual sole sewn on to the bottom of the foot, or could be as simple as a non-slip adhesive applied to the bottom of the foot; the zipper 44 closure could be any application that would allow the two sides of the opening 24 to seal, such as Velcro®, snaps, etc; the drawstring 36, 38 and elastic 40, 42 could be any cinching device. Any combination of the additional embodiments is intended to be included within the scope of this invention.

Thus the scope of this invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given. 

1. A unitary blanket construction, comprising: a web folded over upon itself to form an upper body portion adaptable to be substantially wrapped around a user's body, said upper body portion defining an interior cavity to receive the user's body and a top opening; and two leg compartments depending from the upper body portion and defining respective leg cavities accessible from the interior cavity of the upper body portion; each said leg compartment being arrangeable to receive and envelop one of the user's legs.
 2. The blanket construction according to claim 1, wherein said leg compartments are enclosed at the lower end and defining foot portions associated with each leg compartment for receiving the user's feet.
 3. The blanket construction according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of the legs compartments define openings through which a user's feet may pass when said user's legs are in the leg compartments.
 4. The blanket construction according to claim 3, further comprising two detachable foot portions that may be attached to the leg compartments at the lower end openings.
 5. The blanket construction according to claim 3, wherein the lower end openings of the leg compartments include elastic straps extending substantially around the perimeter thereof.
 6. The blanket construction according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of a side of the upper body portion having a side opening to facilitate the user's access to and from the interior cavity.
 7. The blanket construction according to claim 6, further comprising a closing mechanism for closing the side opening of the upper body portion.
 8. The blanket construction according to claim 7, wherein the closing mechanism comprises a zipper.
 9. The blanket construction according to claim 7, wherein the closing mechanism comprises Velcro®.
 10. The blanket construction according to claim 1 further comprising a drawstring for cinching the upper body portion, said drawstring being located at a waist region of the upper body portion generally adjacent the point of convergence between the upper body portion and the leg compartments.
 11. The blanket construction according to claim 1 further comprising a drawstring associated with the top opening of the upper body portion to close said top opening.
 12. The blanket construction according to claim 1 further comprising at least one pocket.
 13. The blanket construction according to claim 1 further comprising an elastic strap being located at a waist region of the upper body portion generally adjacent the point of convergence between the upper body portion and the leg compartments.
 14. The blanket construction according to claim 2 further comprising a slip proof sole on to the bottom of each foot portion.
 15. The blanket construction according to claim 2 further comprising a non-slip adhesive applied to the bottom of each foot portion.
 16. The blanket construction according to claim 1 further comprising at least one attachment strap that can be worn over the user's shoulder when the upper body portion is wrapped around the user's body and the user's legs are enveloped in the leg compartments.
 17. The blanket construction according to claim 16, wherein the construction may be placed in a compressed form and held in said compressed form by said at least one attachment strap.
 18. The blanket construction according to claim 1 further comprising of a closing mechanism on the inseam of the leg area to attach leg compartments together.
 19. A unitary blanket construction comprising: a web folded over upon itself to define an interior cavity to receive and be substantially wrapped around a user's body, said web comprising: an upper body portion adaptable to be substantially wrapped around the user's torso, said upper body portion defining an interior upper body cavity and a top opening and wherein at least a portion of a side of the upper body portion having a side opening to facilitate the user's access to and from the upper body cavity; and two leg compartments depending from the upper body portion and defining respective leg cavities accessible from the upper body cavity, each said leg compartment being arrangeable to receive and envelop one of the user's legs; wherein the leg compartments generally converge with the upper body portion at a waist region of the web.
 20. The blanket construction according to claim 19, wherein said leg compartments are enclosed at a lower end thereof, each defining a respective foot portion for receiving one of the user's feet. 